In a dense server environment, multiple computer systems commonly referred to as server blades may each have the ability to access a shared device over a network, e.g., Local Area Network (LAN). A server blade may refer to a typical server that does not include a mass storage unit, e.g., fixed disk drive. The storage unit, e.g., fixed disk drive, may be the shared device that each server blade has the ability to access. Typically these storage units are standard Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) drives which use a significant amount of power and space. Hence it would be desirable for the shared storage device to be a drive as small as possible thereby not using a significant amount of power or space.
One particular drive that is small in size and uses a relatively low amount of power is an Integrated Device Electronics (IDE) drive. An IDE drive refers to a drive where controller electronics are built inside the drive. Furthermore, IDE drives are drives that cannot be accessed by multiple devices or multiple programs within a server because there does not exist a suitable protocol that allows multiplexed accesses. Since IDE drives cannot be accessed in a multiplexed fashion, IDE drives may not be accessed by multiple server blades in a server blade environment.
It would therefore be desirable to develop a dense server environment that allows a shared IDE drive to be accessed by multiple server blades.